Essential Pickleball Partner Drills: Pickleball pros Tanner Tomassi and Kyle Koszuta have shared six simple but powerful drills to help players level up their skills. These drills were featured in The Desert Sun as part of Mary Barsaleau’s “Coach Mary’s Tip of the Week” series, published on Sunday.
The drills focus on partner practice and are easy to add to any training session. From working on dinks and resets to handling speed-ups and approaching the net, each drill builds different parts of the game.
Drill #1: Dink and speed-up combo
Players begin by dinking down the line. When the moment feels right, they speed up the shot to turn defense into offense. This drill includes both soft play and fast attack, teaching players to switch strategies quickly.
Drill #2: Crosscourt speed-up and middle coverage
One player feeds a dink crosscourt. After returning the dink, they move to the middle. Their partner then speeds up the ball to the center, where the first player responds with a strong volley. Tanner Tomassi reminds players to stay forward.
“Your paddle stays up in front of you, and you do not step back,” he says.
Drill #3: Reset practice from mid-court
Kyle Koszuta steps back to the center of the court, and Tanner Tomassi hits speed-ups. Kyle tries to reset the ball softly into the kitchen. After three resets, they move up to the non-volley zone and play it out.
A tip from the video: watch Tanner show the wrong way to move forward—complete with Looney Toons sounds.
“It should be slow and go,” he explains.
Drill #4: Crosscourt dinking game with pressure
This is a crosscourt dinking game to five points. No speed-ups allowed. If a player hits the net, they lose all points.
Tanner Tomassi shows how to move sideways to cut off wide dinks with a cross step, not a shuffle. The pros also answer questions about preparing for tournaments.
Kyle Koszuta suggests:
“Put in more competitive play right before the event, to work on strategy and teamwork.”
During a match:
“Spend the first five rallies evaluating your opponent. Then, call a timeout, and talk to your partner about what weaknesses you saw, and how you are going to attack them.”
Drill #5: 7/11 third-shot approach
This common drill practices the third shot and approaching the net. But here, players are not allowed to move forward after their first third shot. They must hit a second one before approaching the kitchen.
“I like that they emphasize that players should not try to always reset or ‘out finesse’ their opponent. When you can attack, you should attack!” says Mary Barsaleau.
Drill #6: Dead dink reaction drill
Players start by dinking normally, then send a soft, dead dink to their partner. This sets up a likely attack. The defender must prepare to react quickly with soft hands.
This drill builds faster reaction times and control at the net.
Smart practice, better results
These six drills give pickleball players helpful ways to grow their game through partner work and match-like situations. With expert tips from Tanner Tomassi and Kyle Koszuta, and breakdowns by Mary Barsaleau, players can build both skill and strategy.
News in Brief: Essential Pickleball Partner Drills
Tanner Tomassi and Kyle Koszuta shared six pickleball drills for partner practice, featured by Mary Barsaleau in The Desert Sun. The drills improve dinks, resets, volleys, and game strategy. They offer practical ways for players to sharpen skills, prepare for tournaments, and boost on-court confidence.